Sunday, April 19, 2009

Formula 1: Vettel pulls off phenomenal win

In a stunning display of brilliant error-free driving and team strategy, Red Bull Racing, probably having the best-looking car this year, finished a 1-2 in today's rain-soaked FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai with young German driver, wet track specialist Sebastian Vettel, who started on pole, followed by teammate Australian Mark Webber. This was the first time Renault-powered Red Bull had two cars in the podium since the team's debut in 2005.

Jenson Button of Brawn GP, winner of the first two races of the season, finished 3rd with Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello in 4th place. Making up ground after being fitted with new double-decker diffusers, the McLaren-Mercedes duo of Heike Kovaleinen and Lewis Hamilton finished 5th and 6th.

Double World Champion Fernando Alonso of Renault, who started on 2nd place, finished 9th after obviously starting with a light fuel load, pitting in early with the race started from the back of the Mercedes ING safety car. The Spanish driver could no longer make up time after that when race officially started.

Ferrari's string of weekly bad lucks continued to haunt them as Felipe Massa, hoping to make a comeback, had a mechanical problem in his car and was unable to continue while the Flying Fin World Champion Kimi Raikkonen could only manage 12th. This is the Prancing Horse's worst start of the season in decades!

Sebastial Vettel, who first won his first Grand Prix last year also in the rain-soaked Italian GP, was unstoppable from pole to finish in his RB5 as even teammate Webber and Brawn driver Button could not keep up with the German's pace in the lake-filled tracks of Shanghai. Interestingly, none of the Red Bull cars racing today had double-decker diffuser designs but what the British-based team lacked it made up for its aerodynamically-designed front and rear wings and carbon fiber body.

Round 4 goes to Sakhir as Formula 1 shifts location to the Middle East in the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix come April 24th.